MorDance presents Works in Progress on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 7:30pm at Martha Graham Studios, 55 Bethune St, NYC. This intimate showing is an opportunity to peer into the creative process and hear from the artists themselves. Tickets are $30 ($25 for students and seniors) and can be purchased online at mordance.org/calendar/works-in-progress.

MorDance, a trailblazing female-led dance company celebrated for creating original collaborative works that push the boundaries of classical ballet, invites audience members to peek into the inspirations and creation of two new ballets and engage in a stimulating discussion with artistic director Morgan McEwen and her collaborators about the creative process. This is a thrilling opportunity to dive inside these ballets before they premiere at Gerald Lynch Theater in the Spring of 2023.

Work 1: The first ballet will take flight from Chris Jordan's critically acclaimed documentary, ALBATROSS, which powerfully depicts a vulnerable albatross population incurring the impact of mass consumption, global industry, and human unconsciousness. I look to articulate this challenging narrative through a choreography of avian movement and breathtaking wingspans. I will collaborate with composer and experimental violinist Josh Knowles on a spacious arrangement that expresses both soaring heights and the ominous weight of dire circumstances. Josh will compose and record this piece on a single violin looped and layered through multiple distortion pedals.

Work 2: Inspired by Emily Dickinson's transcendent and radically outspoken poem of the same title, our second ballet, They Shut Me Up In Prose, will likewise evoke a young woman overcoming sexism in an overwhelmingly patriarchal society. This piece will interlace modern movement and classical ballet vernacular across styles and histories. Appropriately, Polina Nazaykinskaya will create a contemporary score to be played on classical instruments. Polina's unique experience as an internationally renowned composer and a woman will bring extraordinary artistry and meaningful perspective to the themes portrayed. The arrangement will eventually be performed live by five musicians: a pianist alongside a classical string quartet.